


Wonderful life

by Subland



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Color Blindness, M/M, Nobody Dies, P.T is adorable, Phillip has a little bro, Phillip is adorable, Soulmates, and the little bro is like 8 years and his name Louis, everybody is happy, full fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 15:23:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14047164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subland/pseuds/Subland
Summary: Philip never saw a color.One day he choose to bring his little brother to the circus.Oh. And there are the colours.





	Wonderful life

**Author's Note:**

> Hellu to all of you! *too much, I'm blushing*
> 
> So this is my first fic for this fandom. I pretty proud because it's just some fluff where nobody gets harmed. 
> 
> It was beta(d) -is this a verb?- by schizanthus and it was certainly a lot of work because English is not my first language!  
> So excuse me, us, if there is any mistake in it.
> 
> Have fun <3

"You must have heard about this museum of horrors Phillip?" The tone is condescending.

"Hm?" Philp is not listening to what she is saying, because he is sure that he has no interest in it. But he still nods, as the sentence makes a way in his mind. "Yes, Louis has been talking about it every day for over a week." Which does not please their father. "He can't shut it about the place"

The child looks up at Philip. "Hey, I can, thanks."

Phillip smiled gently at him. "Go back to your reading, pumpkin"

Louis pretends to think for a few moments before lowering his head again to the book he is reading. Dolores; what an absurd name; Dolores raises an eyebrow with the most condescending look. "You are well _acquainted_ with Louis, Phillip."

He takes a few moments to look at her, really, to judge if she is serious. Her features are pinched. Another one of the many reflections on the relationship he shares with his brother. My God, he is not part of this world.

"Dolores, dear, Louis is my little brother. I name him as I want and I'm as close to him as I want." He offers her a pleasant smile, but his words are like _venom_.  
Louis laughs softly over his book. "He's calling me what he wants!" "Book, pumpkin." The boy grumbles before lowering his eyes.  
Dolores pinches her lips while attending the exchange between the two Carlyles before nodding curtly. There is an embarrassed silence following the exchange. Because Phillip is lost in the adoration he feels for this little ball of love that is his brother.

"Finally, to come back to this circus, it seems that it is the most colorful thing that we can see! Everything is _beautiful_! All of it Phillip! Oh, you should have be able to see that!" She seems really happy with her statement but Philip does not follow in his spirit, he only nods slowly. Phillip Carlyle does not see the colors, he has never seen them and has never been able to imagine one.

That is, Phillip has not yet found his soulmate. The concept of a soulmate is well seen in society. But nowadays, people do not get married to their soul mate if it is not part of their social rank. So mother and father Carlyle are not soul mates; their children are not the fruit of a purest love but of an alliance that has put families in a good position. Phillip is now lost in thought. In search of some reason why he has not yet had the chance to meet his soul mate. Dolores found hers. She, who is so bad with the others, was lucky enough to find Mother Nature's gift. So she can try, she can try to tell him everything she wants about the colors, how they are, the feelings when they see them, Phillip knows nothing ...

Carlyle is lost in thought until he feels a small hand come close to his, he looks up to catch the eyes of his younger brother. "Phil ... Can we go to the circus tonight?" Oh. Of course, he had promised that they would go one day but Phillip knows full well that entertainment will not please their father. But the little eyes that look at him with so much love, so much desire, so much hope, break his heart. "Yes Louis, we'll go tonight." The little ball of love jumps on his big brother's knees, screaming for a hug. And that's the best thing that's happening to him today. In no way does he regret the look of Dolores gives him or the cries of his father later.

  
*******

  
It is very beautiful indeed. The space is open and the building is very beautiful. He buys peanuts for Louis, with the strange feeling that it was part of the show. Some faces of the crowd, made of different social classes, turn to the figure of the famous Carlyle. But he does not pay attention, Phillip prefers to lead his little brother inside the building. They have the best seats, because Phillip owes him that.

The space is _dashing_ and the atmosphere is full of promise for a most intense evening. But Phillip is unable to see all the colors that adorn the walls or how the lights play with the sand. Louis holds his hand, it is moist with excitement but he only finds it adorable. The youngest is unable to hold up, having so many expectations for this evening that Phillip really hopes the show is worth it.

"Phil?" The taller one turns to the boy who looks at him with big eyes.

"Hm?"

"Thank you, thank you very much." Phillip gives him a big smile before kissing the top of his head. "It's alright pumpkin."

Black soon envelopes the space. The tension is at its height.

_"Ladies and gentlemen this is the moment you're waiting for"_

Everything is black. Phillip and Louis have their hands hooked to each other as if their lives depend on them. The voice shudders, it resonates in the body, resonates in the dark space and all the tension rises in Phillip's throat.

_"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor."_

Phillip stops breathing, everything is too much. The atmosphere is heavy but somehow not enough. He is tired without having run, he is carried away by this atmosphere in which he does not know anything. Two sentences and now his body is lost in this atmosphere oppressive, transcendent, magical. He feels the magic of the moment in his body.

_"And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore."_

Phillip feels his little brother let go of his hand to put his thumb in his mouth and for a few moments he leaves the show to plant his eyes on the youngest; he feels this a of emotions without being able to explain it.

_"Taking your breath, stealing your mind."_

Oh yes. Oh yes his spirit left his body to fly in this show. He does not even know when his eyes are back on the track, on the center but now they are there. His whole being is there, his mind, his thoughts, his consciousness and his unconscious. There are beautiful things in black and white; everything is beautiful.

_"It's holding all that you know, so tell me do you wanna go?"_

The light is violent at once, but violent to show him one of the most beautiful sets. His plays are not as catchy. At the moment, Phillip does not know what to think. He is just caught in this situation. All this set is beautiful. He can see everything. To see everything sadly apart ... Apart from Barnum's coat. _The red coat of Barnum_. Oh. Oh, that's the most beautiful thing he's had to do with his life.

_"And the sun can't stop us now"_

Why? Why does this already magical image come to be sublimated by a touch of color? Why is he so lucky? The chance that his eye is attracted by so much color. Color. Nobody taught him what the red color was, nobody ever could. But now when he sees it he just has to know. Red. He sees this color well. Barnum and his coat are the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Maybe Philip lets out a little sob, but nobody will ever hear about it.

 

_***_

  
"Barnum? There is a Phillip Carlyle asking to see you."

P.T is immersed in his thoughts. The show is over for about ten minutes now, happy faces meet each other. He too, took something different during this show. He, too, has grasped the unthinkable. An ounce of color. A _blue ocean_ at the corner of a jacket.

Oh, he does not understand. Barnum has no idea what's going on. He has never been able to see colors, never one. Even after trying to imagine one it was a failure of the most bitter sort. Even without this idea of color he hung to Charity like a rock ... But the latter has the gift of color now, the latter is gradually moving away. And Phineas has never been able to see a color until today. The ocean blue that haunts his memory. Because he can look all around him, the man is unable to see a single color. He does not see anything. Nothing but shades of gray.

Lettie taps over Phineas's arm to make him react. The latter turns his head towards her, questioningly. "Phineas, there's someone to see you." Her voice is sweet, she realizes he is not as usual, more troubled by the end of this show.

The ringmaster gently shakes his head. "I do not want to see anyone .. Lettie I ..."

Anne frowns a little further. "Phineas, it's not anyone, it's Phillip Carlyle, the famous Carlyle."

But P.T only shrugs, he seems more panicked than usual. "He must be friends with Bennett ... If it's still to make fun of the show, don't welcome him!"

O'Malley coughs softly in the corner of the room. "I do not think it's for the idea of making fun of anything, he is accompanied by a child who seems to be very _happy_."

Anne smiles all the more before Constantine gently pushes Barnum's shoulder. "Bring them in O'Malley!"

A fast child passes near them. A fast child enters the room, it is the back of the set and yet in a few moments it becomes a daydream for the child who has just landed. His eyes are bulging, he wants to touch everything, see everything. Louis runs to Constantine before clutching the man's legs. Constantine opens his eyes wide, looking at the child who has clung to him like a mold on a rock.

"Louis, _oh my god, oh god_ , I'm sorry!"

Phineas does not turn his head away, his eyes are focused on the small form that has clung to Constantine as if it were the best thing that existed in the world. Philip bears all the guilt of his intrusive little brother. From the moment O'Malley came to get them to meet the ringmaster and the freaks, Louis started to run into the circus. The race is also visible on the cheeks of Phillip, a little out of breath from this ridiculous chase.

After a few moments he realizes where he stands and slips his hat off his head. "Ladies and gentlemen." He looks carefully at all the faces, those people who made him vibrate a few minutes earlier. Those people who transported him to a world he would like to be his. Philip offers a brilliant smile to Lettie.

Louis finally takes lifts his head from Constantine's legs to get up and look into his eyes. "Sir, you were really awesome! It's too good your tattoos! You're too _strong_!"

Then he takes off after these few words and runs to Anne. The boy stops, his eyes wide open, his mouth wide open to look at her. "Madam, are you a fairy or a princess?" One of the characters in the stories Phillip reads to him when their father's back is turned. Anne only laughs discreetly before bending down to him and ruffleding his hair.

"No honey, I'm not a fairy." The latter seems disappointed before realizing something. "Ooooh, so you're an _angel_!" He turns to Phillip, pointing at Anne, "Phil, Phil, Phil, look, it's an angel!" Phillip laughs discreetly before passing his hand on the neck in an embarrassed way. "Louis we do not point at people ..."

But the boy does not listen and he is already gone. After a few steps he meets Charles, Tom Thumb and Louis laughs, holding out his hand. Charles has not yet removed his costume, he keeps his character by shaking hands with Louis. "General Tom Thumb young man!" Louis laughs again before bending his chest. "Louis Carlyle, General!" Charles nods and Louis laughs again before running to another side of the place and stumbling.

But before touching the ground, he is caught by Dog Boy and Louis looks at him with admiration. He takes him in his arms, the other does not know how to react but Louis smiles against his arms. "You're sweet sir!" Fedor feels his heart cracking with softness towards the child but he has already left; it is almost tiring to follow all his movements.

The boy looks at Barnum and nods, in a very concrete way. "Mr. Barnum, you are a _genius_." He smiles before coming to cuddle his legs too.

Louis advances a determined step towards his brother but he crosses the eyes of Lettie and stops with eyes bulging. The latter thinks he's terrified and starts to turn her body, indeed, she's just a freak, a woman with a beard. But Louis advances slowly towards her, gently, very slowly perhaps because he sees her turn away. He grabs her dress and gently pulls it so she turns to him. Then he reaches out and conveys that he wants to be hugged. Then Lettie, reassured after receiving an approving nod from Phillip, grabs the boy in her arms. He seems totally comfortable in her arms and smiles all over his face. "You have more beards than my uncle! It's too _cool_!" He runs his arms around the young woman's neck and laughs in her neck. "And it's sweeter than my uncle!" There's a small collective laugh before he starts to move in Lettie's arms and conveys the signal to be put down

He is about to leave again but Anne takes his hand and he looks at her again with big eyes. "Hey little monster, if your daddy agrees ..."

"Duh, Phil is my big _brother_!"

Anne looks at Phil. It makes more sense ... "Okay, so if your big brother agrees, then can I take you to the animals?"

Louis turns his head at a breathtaking speed towards his big brother. His eyes sparkle with demand, almost of need and Phillip knows he can not resist such a look. So he smiles softly. "I trust you Miss Wheeler."

She seems surprised that he knows her name and Philip adds softly. "Your name is on the posters miss." That is true. She gently nods before being pulled by Louis and laughs with him at the eagerness he shares.

In a few moments calm returns, as if a storm had passed. A small sigh escapes W.D and Constantine smiles at Philip's attention. "It must not be easy every day." Phillip smiles in turn. "Not every day indeed ..."

P.T has trouble assembling everything that just happened. He has just been attacked by the best thing that can happen. A child. A happy child filled with excitement who saw his show. A child who called him genius. Phineas almost forget the few ounces of color that bothered him during the show ... But Phillip can not. Because the color is right in front of him. It's the only one he can see. This red, this beautiful red, so powerful that twists his stomach, dries his throat. So he clears his throat.

"Mr. Barnum?"

The latter finally seems to react by turning his head towards Philip. Oh. His eyes are first on the blue scarf he wears around his neck before getting up to the eyes.

_Oh._

_Oh._

And from that moment until always, Phineas could not see a more beautiful thing in all the universe.

And from that moment until forever, Phillip could see more beautiful things in the whole universe.

The blue of Phillip's eyes hits him hard in the stomach. He notices everything. All the nuances of his eyes, all the deep corners where he could get lost. Phineas is dizzy. The same goes for Phillip. Because the latter has not seen anything as beautiful as these liquor-colored eyes, everything seems to make sense, all the words of a show that hit him in the guts, make sense when he looks in Phineas's eyes.

Constantine drops something behind them and by pure reflex Phineas follows the look. And for the first time in his entire life, for the first time since he built this empire, Phineas is able to see him as he is. Full. All this color attacks it at once. All those beautiful things he saw without actually seeing them. It all attack him. But everything is so beautiful. Everything is so beautiful that it has a movement of dizziness. His lip starts to shake. Too many emotions overwhelm Phineas at this moment and a sob escapes him. Everything is so beautiful. He turns on himself, looks at the place, the space. Everything is so beautiful. He wants to sing his joy of living to the world. Everything is so beautiful. Colored.

" **YES**."

People around him look at him without understanding. And yet Phineas is already to take a few steps on the track, the one they played tonight. He see. He sees the color of his coat. It's like rediscovering the world for the first time.

But this moment is not just personal. Because the other man seems just as lost as him. The other man has his eyes planted on his hands. He does not go around in circles, he does not shout his joy of living as Phineas could do but his face puts forward all the expressions he feels. My God. Everything is so different. Everything is so perfect. Phillip looks up to the world. It's a new world that surrounds them, different. His eyes are heading towards Barnum. Oh. The eyes meet again and it's really the most beautiful thing they've ever seen.

Phineas takes a long stride to get to Phillip. He stands in front of the boy, very close. His hands find the face of the younger and he smiles openly. "Phillip."

Phillip blushes at the mere mention of his name after all his emotions. "Barnum."

"Just call me Phineas."

Phillip blinks. He does not want to break that embrace. Because there is something electric between them. His hands are clinging to the ringmaster's coat.

"Phillip?"

"Yes?"

Barnum smiled, bringing his face closer to the other. He comes to press their two fronts in an embrace that may seem incomprehensible to two strangers but is so natural to them.

" _I see you_."

Phillip passes one of his hands behind Phineas's neck before pulling him a little closer. The kiss they exchange is chaste. A simple rubbing of lips. But it is electric. He carries all this emotion. Phillip did not even realize he was crying until Barnum wiped away one of his tears. Their two bodies recognize each other. The embrace becomes tighter.

"Phineas?"

"Yes?"

" _I see you_."


End file.
